A national group representing the Satanic Temple filed a lawsuit against Memphis-Shelby County Schools alleging it violated the organization’s First Amendment right to free assembly when it blocked an after-school club from meeting on school property.
The suit, filed last week, stems from the temple’s efforts to hold meetings of the After School Satan Club — which offers science- and nature-based activities and arts and crafts programs — at Chimneyrock Elementary School.
A representative of the group contacted school district officials in November of last year to request space for club meetings at the same rate charged to other after-school groups, including the Good News Club, a group sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship. According to the suit, administrators with the school district failed to respond to multiple emails sent through an administrative portal set up for such requests.
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On Dec. 13, the school district held a news conference to denounce the After School Satan Club at which Althea Greene, the school board’s chair, referred to the group as the “enemy.”